Marcos to ASEAN: Be decisive, responsive on geopolitical issues concerning the region

LABUAN BAJO — President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. underscored Wednesday the need for the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) to take decisive and responsive action regarding geo-political issues concerning the regional bloc.

Marcos said the regional bloc should continue improving its efforts to advance its welfare.

“The ASEAN of today must be better than the ASEAN of yesterday. For ASEAN to succeed, ASEAN must be the master of its future,” Marcos said during his intervention at the ASEAN Leaders’ Interface with the High-Level Task Force on the ASEAN Community’s post-2025 vision (HLTF-ACV).

“The work of the High-Level Task Force requires sober deliberation of the potentials and the possibilities of the evolving regional and global architecture. It is imperative that we be decisive, it is imperative that we be responsive,” Marcos added.

Marcos said the ASEAN has to be agile in order to adapt to the diverse meaningful interventions needed for the complex challenges of the present times.

“Regionalism should mirror our collective interests, for our strength relies on our united voice,” Marcos said.

According to Marcos, the regional bloc must show to the world that it can respond effectively to geopolitical and geo-economic challenges as a cohesive force. 

“Today, ASEAN faces a complex geopolitical environment which includes rivalries amongst great powers, climate change, and technological disruptions, amongst others. ASEAN itself is not immune to its own challenges, as we continue to navigate our differences in the region towards a general consensus of action," he said.

Marcos has since believed on the importance of demonstrating ASEAN’s centrality in the region amidst the present geopolitical rivalries. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News